Gap Analysis
by csishewolf
Summary: In 19 ABY, Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade survived one of the most harrowing adventures of their lives when they discovered the Hand of Thrawn on the planet Nirauan. Little is known about the fifteen days between the time they escaped and the time they arrived on Coruscant. Until now...
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** _Star Wars_ and all characters; names and related materials are Trademarks of and Copyright of Lucasfilm, Ltd. This includes characters identified with the films produced as part of the 20th Century Fox studios and published works from Bantam Spectra books. (In other words, they're not mine. However, all errors and deviations from canon are mine.)

 **Background:** This fic takes place in the Legends/EU timeline between the end of Chapter 42 and the beginning of Chapter 43 of _Vision of the Future_ by Timothy Zahn. There's a bit of a gap (fifteen days to be exact) – and this is my attempt to fill in the time between when Luke and Mara left Nirauan to when they landed on Coruscant. It helps if you're up to date on that novel and it's predecessor. Perhaps you feel like going and re-reading the Hand of Thrawn duology? It is indeed awesome.

 **Pairing:** This is a Luke/Mara fic, primarily romance/angst, and my first foray into this fandom.

 **Rating:** This work of fanfiction is rated M. Per guidelines this means: "Not suitable for children or teens below the age of 16 with non-explicit suggestive adult themes, references to some violence, or coarse language. Fiction M can contain adult language, themes and suggestions." My ask is that you respect this rating, as this fic skates along the far edge of M.

* * *

"It looks like the best place we can reconnect with civilization is Mrisst. Karrde has a place at the spaceport we can use. That work for you?"

Mara swiveled the rigid Imperial-styled captain's chair towards Luke when she didn't hear his reply. His body was tense, his gaze fixed beyond her to the stars before him.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Leia. Something has happened...something significant. I think…I think it's Han."

"Do you know where?"

"No." His shoulders sagged in frustration. "It's too faint. I can't seem to reach her."

Mara walked quickly to his side and put her hand on his shoulder. "Do you want to try together?"

He turned towards her with a wan smile. "You're just as exhausted as I am."

"Well, we can probably be on Mrisst in about 18 hours. Karrde actually has a few hidey-holes in that spaceport – but one in particular is well equipped with comms equipment. That's where we'll stay and we can contact her from there. Besides, we're going to need a pretty strict encrypt if we're transmitting Thrawn's copy of the Camaas Document to Coruscant."

"It'll have to do. You and I both need time to recover if we're going to be able to help them."

Mara sensed his distress and appreciated his acceptance of their situation. They were in no condition to do much of anything right now.

"Mrisst it is." Mara returned to the control panel and keyed in the coordinates, adjusting the ship computer's recommended flight path only slightly to ensure a speedy but safe trip through hyperspace. "You'd better strap yourself and your R2 unit down, I'm not sure how this bird is going to handle the jump to lightspeed."

"Artoo is all set in the back," Luke told her as he sat in the co-pilot seat next to hers. "Let's go."

Mara flicked a few switches overhead and pushed the main hyperdrive control forward. The ship gave a slight pull and the stars streaked before them. A now recurring pang of sadness hit her as they left the Nirauan system. _Goodbye, Jade's Fire._

~~~~/*\\*/*\\*/*\~~~~

"There has to be some kind of sleeping quarters on this ship," Mara muttered. "A place we can wash up or something."

"Tie Fighters weren't exactly designed as pleasure cruisers, Mara," Luke said in a weary but teasing way. "Not even stimmed up Tie Fighters."

"I'm well aware. But if Parck's people could make it to Bastion in this thing, there has to be…ah…here we go." Mara touched the keypad next to a small grey door, oddly tucked behind a storage area at the rear of the ship. It opened with a click-hiss. "Captain's quarters," she proclaimed as they stepped inside.

"Quarters" was a bit of a misnomer. The room was a bedroom in the sense that it contained an actual bed and not the foldaway cots they'd found tucked along the walls. One wall was lined with standard Imperial compartments for clothing and other personal items. Mara opened a few and found uniforms kin to the ones their Chiss friends were wearing.

"Care for a new wardrobe, Skywalker?" she asked, holding one in front of her. "You can be Thrawn 1 and I'll be Thrawn 2."

He looked at her blankly. "We can't walk into the Mrisst spaceport in those."

"Why not? We'll say it's a new trend. The latest in Jedi wear." She gave him a quick once-over. "It's not like you're making a fashion statement with your current outfit. Unless you're actually trying for the I've-Been-Through-Hell-And-Back look."

Luke studied his torn and tattered clothing, as if noticing it for the first time. "Point taken. Yours isn't much better off."

Mara looked down. Yikes. They were a mess.

He moved towards the far corner of the room. "There's a small 'fresher over here – and its got a shower stall. It's stocked too," he called as he walked inside.

Mara squeezed past him and stepped into a flashback. Standard Imperial washroom, right down to the last detail. "It's been a while since I've used one of these," she said distantly. "But a shower is a shower, right?" She wasn't about to let old memories haunt her. She just didn't have the energy. The past weeks were clearly catching up to her, quickly.

She turned, realizing abruptly that Imperial washrooms weren't quite meant for two people. Shrugging off the subtle waves of Skywalker invading her personal space, she asked, "So, should we roll a chance cube or…"

"No, you go first," he interrupted. "I want to check on Artoo and see what we've got for food. Come get me when you're finished."

Mara watched him from the washroom doorway as he walked away. There was tension in his shoulders, exhaustion in his step, and swirls of worry in his mind. She wondered briefly how he handled it all. It was never a dull moment - always some noble cause for him to chase or threat to the galaxy to conquer.

She pondered this while she showered, unimpressed but extremely grateful to wash weeks worth of grime and dirt from her body. For a brief second she wondered how they would manage sleeping arrangements, but decided it wouldn't be an issue. They were engaged, right? That's what engaged people did.

Then reality hit her. Slammed right into her gut like a kick from a Tauntaun. _I'm going to be married!_

How did this happen? Marriage? What was she thinking? Tendrils of panic started to creep across her mind and she calmed herself to keep from alerting Skywalker.

 _It'll turn out okay,_ she told herself. _It's meant to be. I felt it._ Instantly she recalled the myriad of emotions and sensations she'd felt as they fought the sentinels, remembering the strength of their bond and the unique feeling of his pulse as it beat in tandem with hers. _We're meant to be together. This is the right path._

Stepping out of the stall, she reached for the towels she'd stacked earlier on the washbasin. She glanced at herself in the small utility mirror and froze. Eek. She looked like a drowned rat roach. Even her beautiful red hair, the one physical attribute she prided herself on, looked dull and dreary under the single grey-blue light overhead.

A new feeling hit her, one she hadn't felt in a very long time. Insecurity.

 _That's ridiculous_ , she told herself, shaking her head and spattering water droplets onto the mirror. She steadied her breathing and attempted to remain calm. _I've never worried about what men thought of me before. I've never had a problem with male attention. I've never cared how Skywalker saw me either._

A little voice in the back of her mind piped up and said, " _That's because you weren't planning on sleeping with him_."

And she was now. Unless there was some very weird and very depressing Jedi custom she was unaware of, they were going to be intimate. It might happen soon. Maybe even tonight.

Mara's focus narrowed to a single thought: _Holy Frack – I'm going to have SEX with Luke Skywalker!_

~~~~/*\\*/*\\*/*\~~~~

Luke's thoughts swirled like comet dust trails while he opened drawers, scanning the kitchenette shelves for food. _Was Han okay? What about Leia? What should I do? What if they need me?_

He sighed. _I am no help to them now. I'm too tired to even move._

He tried to temper his weakness and exhaustion with Jedi relaxation techniques, but even that effort was almost too much for him.

He'd felt this way before and knew he'd pushed himself too far once again. But his vision of Mara was real - he had to come to Nirauan. He saw now why he'd had the vision and understood what it meant. In a way it wasn't a surprise. It was like Leia said when he told her she was his sister. "Somehow I've known. Somehow I've always known."

Luke understood clearly now. He wasn't ready to see or accept this ten years ago when he'd met the illustrious Mara Jade hell-bent on killing him. He wasn't even ready to accept the idea of her just a few weeks ago. But now, now he knew. This was their path. It was right, and it was Force-influenced. It was destiny.

His thoughts returned to worrying about Han. Luke replayed the images and emotions he'd sensed from Leia again in his head. Fear, anxiety, stress. But no sorrow or devastation. Han was in trouble, yes, but he wasn't dead. At least not yet.

 _It isn't my problem to solve,_ he told himself. _I need to trust in the Force. Be at peace and the solutions will appear._

Luke sat at one of the bar stools in the kitchenette and attempted again to calm his feelings. Breathing steadily and with eyes closed, he let his mind be free, relaxed, at peace, letting the Force flow through him. Instantly he sensed Han would be okay, and with a deep sigh of relief, he let his worry leave him. He'd confirm once they arrived at Mrisst, but even then he knew he'd hear all was well.

He rested his mind, letting the stress leave him. Mara was safe. They were returning to Coruscant. They had a real copy of the Camaas Document. The Force was with them, as it always seemed to be. Luke let his mind drift along the ebbs and flows of the Force…calming…at peace…until he started to pick up spikes of emotion from Mara.

An overtone of sadness; the loss of the _Jade's Fire_ was hitting her harder than she let on. He would try to help her with that. Flickers of confusion…then calm. A hint of…insecurity? Very unlike her. But then calmness once again.

Mara was always one for control. She was the more levelheaded of the two of them. _This is why we are so well suited for each other._

And then he felt it, the sharp spike of panic. Something was wrong!

Luke hurried as fast as he could to the back of the ship, simultaneously pushing the door panel to the captain's quarters with a ripple of the Force. He rushed inside…

…and found Mara standing in the middle of he room, wrapped only in a thin white towel, acting for all the galaxy as if nothing had happened. He dimly realized her feelings of fear had greatly diminished - he sensed intensity and abrasiveness instead, both perfectly normal for Mara. However, Luke's thoughts regarding her emotions were dust motes compared to the primary focus of his attention. His conscious mind was frozen, stuck in a feedback loop of processing the image of the woman before him. Her body – not covered by a flight suit or uniform. Her skin. A cluster of freckles along her left shoulder. Her fiery hair, damp and starting to curl. He watched her squeeze the ends with a second towel as long tendrils draped across her right shoulder and her chest. Her rather shapely chest.

Her eyes met his as she coolly asked, "Is there a problem, Skywalker?"

'Problem' didn't even begin to describe it. Something flared to life in Luke...something raw, powerful. Something carnal and lust-filled. He felt his pulse quicken, his heart pounding his blood faster and harder through his veins than he'd realized was possible. A myriad of lurid and long-suppressed Mara-based fantasies flooded into his mind. He barely had a second to register his emotions and bring them quickly under control, but it was too late.

In that one split second, he felt the fragile bond between them shift. Mara's confident façade morphed into a mixture of confusion and uncertainty. She frowned slightly, pulling her towel tight around her while instinctively stepping away from him. Instantly Luke was flooded with embarrassment. She retreated mentally as well - he winced as he felt her slam a barrier against his mind with the Force, cutting off his link to her entirely.

What in the blue blazes was wrong with him? He was a Jedi Master, not some hormone-overloaded teenager. This was Mara. He trusted her. He respected her. He _loved_ her. To picture her in his mind as nothing but a sex object was wrong. He knew she'd sensed what he'd been thinking and cringed, throwing up his own defensive walls against her as well. He couldn't let her see his mind's mix of lust and shame.

"I…Mara…I…"

She said nothing – she just stared at him. He however, focused on the various scratches and marks along the wall, not trusting himself to make eye contact with her again. A minute passed and the awkwardness between them grew. Tension swam through the room, their companionable moments on Nirauan drifting away with each second.

With a deep sigh, Mara finally spoke. "Look. Luke. We're both beyond tired and running a little rough around the edges. Why don't you wash up and I'll check in with the ship's computer and make sure we're still on course for Mrisst. The towels and stuff are under the washbasin. We...we can talk later."

Luke gave an almost imperceptible nod. Speech patterns were not possible for him at the moment. She walked over to the clothing compartment, removed a unisex undergarment and a Chiss uniform, tossed them over her arm, and facing straight ahead, she strode purposefully out of the room.

Only after the door hissed shut did Luke release the breath he didn't realize he was holding. It was a good thing that had come to terms with his worries about Han and Leia. Because now he had something a lot bigger to worry about.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** This is regarding the Chiss Clawcraft and the fact that my chapter above indicates there is actually a room with a shower in it. Only read the below if your mind said "OMG – that's not possible!" when you read about the shower. You are also more than welcome to read the below if you are suffering from insomnia. After 5 sentences, you will be quite sleepy. You have my guarantee.

For the sake of argument, let's assume that the ship Mara stole from the hangar of the Hand of Thrawn fortress was indeed a Chiss Clawcraft. If that is true, according to Wookiepedia's documentation – the small starship is 7.65 meters long and holds 1 seat for the pilot and no passengers. However, within _Vision of the Future,_ Chapter 29 (pg. 346 in my much loved hardback copy), Luke states that the fighter is "three times the size of an X-wing, with a set of 4 TIE-fighter solar panels melding into a disturbing flow of alien lines". Wookiepedia's documentation lists an X-wing as being 12.5 meters long. A ship 3 times that size would be 37.5 meters long, which is longer than the Millennium Falcon! Additionally, further in the chapter it is described how there are two front seats (implied given Luke stays in his seat and Mara rises from hers to go off and send her beloved _Jade's Fire_ to its doom) and 1 aft seat (as that is where the Qom Qae Child of Winds hangs on for dear life as they take off when they leave the hangar). The ship they stole had room to fit 2 humans, one Qom Qae and Artoo without any mention of "tight quarters". I found another passage in VotF (Chapter 2) where Zahn describes it again as "three times the size of an X-wing" and containing "a pair of Imperial-style flight helmets." It sits at least three people in Zahn's world, and it is tiny as heck in its description everywhere else.

So… either Wookiepedia and all its lovely diagrams are wrong (doubtful), Timothy Zahn is wrong (also doubtful as he is The Creator of Mara and Hence Eternally Awesome) or Mr. Zahn applied some poetic license to the size of a Clawcraft in the sake of being a plot device, as I can find no mention of any other Chiss ship that matches the description Luke provided. I'm assuming poetic license happened with Mr. Zahn, and I'm leveraging the same here with the very mature excuse of "He wrote it first!" In my mind, the interior space within a ship "three times the size of an X-wing" will be tight, but it will have a small sleeping area with a small shower.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** See Chapter 1 for the full Disclaimer. They're not mine.

 **Rating:** M. Please respect the M.

* * *

Luke studied himself in the utility mirror, relieved that he was once again clean-shaven and looking more like himself. Removing the clay silt from his days in the caves of Nirauan had washed away some of his weariness, allowing his mind to focus on his latest self-created difficulty - Mara.

He had never been one for vanity; he was a "what you see is what you get" kind of guy. But Mara's reaction to his obvious, and surprisingly intense, attraction to her hadn't exactly been positive. She didn't run screaming from the room in horror, but she didn't leap into his arms and fulfill his lurid fantasies either. Not that he'd wanted her like that, he wasn't even sure he knew what he wanted. Why was this so difficult? He ran his fingers through his hair, noting for the first time he was greying along the temples.

This was a new situation for him – in the past women had been very clear about their attentions, most approaching him first. He didn't have to put forth much of an effort, and hence didn't think much about whether or not he was well...appealing to women. It was a thought that hadn't crossed his mind in years, probably decades.

Yet here he was, wondering what Mara thought of him. It was confusing new ground. They had known each other for years. They'd had their ups and downs, but he knew she cared deeply for him. He'd felt it on Nirauan. He'd seen into her soul. Where was the gap? What had they missed?

His thoughts were interrupted when he felt her reach out to him via the Force. Dropping his mental guard, he felt her again in his mind. _Luke?_

 _Yes?_

 _You can have the bed. I'm going to rest up here where I can keep an eye on the ship. We've got another 14 hours before we're at Mrisst, so I'll come get you when we come out of hyperspace._

Luke saw through her ploy and didn't appreciate being dismissed so readily. _We can't avoid this Mara. We should talk. Come in here._

Mara sent him the mental equivalent of a snort. _Not tonight, farm boy. You aren't exactly dressed for conversation._

Huh? He blinked and looked down. He was naked. Heat crept up the back of his neck as he realized this was twice in one night he'd made a full-feathered idiot of himself.

He reached out to Mara but found her blocked from him once again. Yes, this was definitely becoming complicated. They were meant for each other – he knew it. He _felt_ it. He just didn't know how to get from where they were to where things should be with them. Intimate. Physical. His body stirred at the thought, reaffirming what he'd already known and realized he'd been denying – he was incredibly attracted her.

Sex was not rocket science. He'd had no problems with other women, and the connection he'd had with them was mynock spit compared to what he felt with Mara. Well, except for Callista. But that was the past. Mara was his future and that was that. Just like with his earlier worries regarding Han, he shouldn't worry about this either. He settled himself into the small bed, still naked, and performed his Jedi calming techniques as he allowed himself to drift off to sleep, briefly wondering how she could tell he wasn't wearing any clothes.

~~~~/*\\*/*\\*/*\~~~~

Mara woke abruptly from a dreamless sleep. An alarm was chirping shrilly, her senses telling her it was coming from the navigation console. Worry quickly pushed the last cobwebs of sleep from her mind as she leapt from her cot and rushed to the cockpit, scanning the controls. There were only 15 minutes until they would drop out of hyperspace. _Yikes!_ Her mind switched into pilot mode, and she started entering in the encrypt codes and data keys they'd need to dock at the Mrisst Spaceport. Finally, with a twinge of grief, she sliced the ID of the ship and replaced it with the one for _Jade's Fire_. She didn't know this ship's name, nor did she care to find out. She wanted it to appear to be nothing more than a trader's ship, and the _Jade's Fire_ had never been on Mrisst. They wouldn't know this ship wasn't really hers.

A ripple behind her told her Skywalker was awake and joining her. She glanced over her shoulder, noting that he was indeed clothed in a twin to her jumpsuit. Not that she thought he'd wander the ship in the nude, but after last night she wasn't sure what to expect. He looked rested and alert, almost cheerful. He had a cup in his hand and was munching quietly on a ration bar.

"You need any help?"

"No, I've got it under control. How long have you been awake?"

"Not too long. I did brew up some stimcaf if you'd like some." He gestured with the cup. "It isn't the best but it'll do."

Mara clenched her teeth in frustration. "You didn't think to wake me? Say… before the hyperspace alarm went off?"

"You were asleep. I could have handled it. I _am_ a pilot too, you know."

"When? When we dropped out of hyperspace?"

"No. When I needed to." In typical Luke fashion, he continued politely, "Did you sleep well?"

"Cots aren't as comfortable as beds, but I survived."

"I'm sure you did. We'll have to work on that." There was a hint of smugness in his tone.

"Work on what?"

"Sleeping. In beds. It's what married couples do, you know."

Mara's temper stirred. "We aren't married yet, Skywalker."

"Yes, I know. But we will be, so we'll just have to work on it."

"Just like that, right?"

"Yes," he replied evenly. "Just like that. You'd better pay attention, though." He gestured to the blur beyond the cockpit. "It's almost time."

Mara turned and focused her attention back on the ship, quietly seething at his casual demeanor. Didn't he realize she didn't work like that? She couldn't just switch gears from friend to lover like it was no big deal. She had planned to murder him for Sith's sake. Strike him down without a second though. Granted, she realized later she never _really_ wanted to kill him, that was the Emperor's influence. However, she hadn't exactly been lost in love-struck daydreams about Luke Skywalker for the past ten years either. Adding sex to the equation created a whole different dynamic in their relationship. Although she felt a tad triumphant that he desired her, she wasn't quite sure how to do the same. She cared for him, yes. Deeply. But their relationship was based on intellectual and emotional components, not physical ones. Every time she thought about him sexually, she ran into a weird mental wall. It felt completely foreign to her to see Skywalker as anything other than, well, Skywalker.

She'd thought about this a lot last night, how he was never really available to her from a romantic perspective. There was always some bit of fluff attached to his arm. She'd been forced to compartmentalize him as a friend because there was never any other option. Migrating him into a different category after ten years was awkward for her. Maybe that's what they needed to talk about - how she needed some time to adjust to what it would mean to be intimate. To get to know him not as Luke Skywalker, Jedi Master, but Luke Skywalker, her… Her what? Sex partner? The thought was boggling her mind.

She shook her head and returned her attentions back to the controls. She would land this Force-forsaken thing as quickly as she could and get some space between them. This ship had become entirely too close for comfort.

~~~~/*\\*/*\\*/*\~~~~

"I have to give Karrde credit," Luke said, scanning the suite appreciatively. "He's got style."

"This is his personal apartment here on Mrisst. Most of his outposts aren't nearly as luxurious, trust me." Mara walked over to the floor-to-ceiling windows and pulled back the heavy velvet draperies, revealing the sheer panels beneath and allowing some light into the dimly lit room. She'd been abuzz with energy from the moment they'd landed, handling the docking and the negotiations with the dockmaster with practiced ease.

They'd traveled quickly through the spaceport, walking only a few blocks before they came upon a busy open market walled in by 4-story towers. They'd turned down a couple of alleys and arrived at the back entrance to a similar tower. Mara had quickly entered access codes into the panels at the back door and at the turbolift, pressing button 4A.

The lift doors had opened to a narrow corridor. At its end was the doorway to this suite, complete with a rather complex security panel. Mara seemed to know every code from memory and moved with familiarity throughout the entire place. Luke wondered how many times Karrde had taken her here, and after a more thorough perusal of their accommodations, he felt a twinge of jealousy at Karrde's ability to provide Mara with some of the finer things in life. Even if they were most likely illegal.

"Tell your astromech droid to hold his wheels for a few minutes. I need to contact Karrde and let him know we're here before he can start flirting with the computer." Luke watched her touch a seemingly blank spot on the wall and was surprised when yet another security control system appeared. She punched in a few digits with her right hand while placing her left on a flatpanel scanner. Wherever they were staying was important to Karrde, and he clearly wanted it protected.

"Skywalker, your droid?"

Artoo was over at the comm terminal off to the left of the main living space, twittering happily to himself while attempting to connect to the commport.

"Artoo," Luke warned, "Mara said you have to wait."

Artoo warbled morosely in reply but moved away from the terminal, leaving just enough room for Mara to squeeze by after she'd finished with the security system.

Mara waved the droid back further while she pulled out a hinged seat from under the comms counter. "Nosy little thing, aren't you?"

Artoo chirped indignantly but rolled further away.

Luke defended his little friend. "He's just excited to be back on solid ground and civilization. Don't worry Artoo, you can have your turn once she's done."

"Fine, fine. Feel free to make yourself at home while I check in with Karrde. The room off the corridor to the left is mine, but you can have either of the other two." She gestured haphazardly to her right, clearly focused on the holocam and commlink.

"In a minute," Luke replied. "I want to talk with Karrde too."

Mara gave a resigned sigh and then the commlink chirped with static. The holocam was still black. "Red Raven to Nest," she said. "Anyone home?"

The response back was distorted, but intelligible. "Nest to Red Raven. No one is home. Call back later."

"Aves, knock it off. I need to talk to Karrde."

"Identification Protocol Please."

"Aves, I don't have time for this. Get me Karrde."

There was a pause and then, "Identification Protocol Please."

Mara sighed, muttering something about delusions of grandeur. "Imperial Myrkyr Jedi Alderaan Dreadnaught Ewok"

"Identification Accepted. State purpose of transmission."

"Aves! This is one of Karrde's personal secured channels. Where is he?"

"He's got his hands full right now. You won't believe where he's been. Frack, you won't believe where we _are_ right now! Hey, where have _you_ been? I heard you got stuck on some planet, but I figured you'd make it out okay. I also heard Skywalker was going to rescue you – like you were a damsel in distress. Did he actually find you?"

"Yes," Mara replied tersely. "he did. I'm fine. Tell Karrde I'm at Location 49364A and will probably be here for a couple of days. Have him contact me as soon as he can."

"Ok. Take care. Don't do anything I would. Base Out."

Mara rose from the comm panel, swiveling the seat pad back underneath the comm's counter. "Well, that was embarrassing."

"He respects you a great deal, you know. Don't let it bother you - it will all work out."

"Thanks, Mr. Optimism." She studied him with a slight tilt of her head. "You really took our conversations on Nirauan to heart, didn't you? Decided you were going to change and boom - that's it – changed."

"What other choice do I have? I don't want to follow that path any longer." Yoda's words echoed in his mind yet again… _Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny…_ It had dominated his, and hurt people he loved. Never again.

"Not everyone is like you, you know. Change is a little more challenging for some people."

"People like you?" he asked softly. Luke sensed the flickers of uncertainty in her, but was confused by them. Why would she think she needed to change?

"Yeah, people like me. So just…keep that in mind. Hey, don't you want to contact Leia? About Han?"

"I do. We need to tell her about the Camaas document we found too. Can you set up a secure channel to her?"

Mara smirked. "Is a rancor's backside watertight? Of course I can."

"Good. Let's get Leia on the comm and hook Artoo up. Maybe you can talk with Threepio, huh Artoo?"

The little droid trilled happily in reply.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** Still not mine.

 **Rating:** Still M.

* * *

Mara closed the door to the room quietly, allowing Luke some privacy while he talked with his sister. In all honesty, if there was bad news, she didn't want to hear it. Luke hadn't seemed all that concerned, so perhaps the threat to Han Solo had passed.

A smile crossed her face as she familiarized herself with her old room. _Thank the stars for Karrde and his incessant need to keep everything._ Her old jumpsuits and casual clothes were still exactly where she left them. The bedding was as she remembered, extremely soft but thick and sturdy. Karrde was never one to deprive himself of the finer things. The washroom contained numerous supplies along with one of her favorite items, those incredibly soft towels made of Nerf fur that warmed when you used them. It was clear from the slight covering of dust that no one had used this room in quite some time. A flicker of respect for her mentor rippled through her. He hadn't let others use this room – he'd categorized it as hers and hers it would remain. What would he think when she told him she was engaged?

Another thought crossed her mind. _Will I no longer work with Karrde? What will I do?_

Mara sighed. _When did my life get so complicated?_

The little voice in her head said, " _When you hooked up with Skywalker._ "

Valid point. Nothing with Skywalker was easy. She wondered about their future…would they travel the galaxy together? She wasn't the type to settle down into domestication. Would she live on Yavin 4 with him? Yavin 4 was mired in the dark side, regardless of what he'd said. A shudder ran through her as she pictured herself in fluffy pink slippers and a robe, puttering around the Jedi Academy kitchen, making breakfast for Skywalker and his students.

 _That's not me. That'll never be me. Is that what he wants me to be?_

There was a soft knock on her door. Speak of the devil.

"Come in," she called. "What did Leia say?"

The door swished open and Luke stepped inside. "She and Han are fine. Everyone is, actually."

Mara felt an usually strong sense of relief; she hadn't realized how much she was hoping to hear the Solos were okay.

"It seems there were Imperials at Bothawui," he continued, "along with half of the New Republic. Han and Lando exposed them somehow. The way Leia described it, every Bothan with a ship went out to chase the Imperials away, along with some of the less cowardly races that were camped out around Bothawui air space. She couldn't talk long, so I didn't get a lot of the details."

Mara chuckled. "That's not something you see every day. A noble Bothan."

Luke smiled wryly. "No, but they were successful just the same."

"Did you send her the Camaas Document?"

"I did, after Artoo did some fine tuning with the encrypts. We didn't talk much about it, but she's handing it over to Gavrisom. There'll probably be a political firestorm on Coruscant for the next couple of days."

Mara felt his apprehension in returning to Coruscant in the midst of name-calling and mud-slinging. A pang of sympathy swept over her – Skywalker wasn't one for the pomp and pageantry of Imperial City. She'd lived it for so many years of her life that the chaos and crowds didn't phase her. Then again, not much in the galaxy did – she'd seen it all. A flash in her mind made her think of the barren wastelands of Tatooine, and what it must have been like for him to grow up there. No, the erstwhile farm boy was not meant for the stringent societal demands of the New Republic government, especially when it was in an uproar.

"We can stay here for a few days," Mara said softly. "There's no need to rush back now that they have what they need."

She sensed the wave of relief from him as he replied, "Thanks Mara."

Awkwardly, she continued, "We could take some time to figure things out. Get to know each other better."

 _Not that I don't know you already from sharing your mind while we fought. Not that I haven't known you better than you know yourself for nearly ten years now. I just want to get used to the fact that we're going to screw each other's brains out._

And again her mind balked at the thought. Immediately she strengthened her mental walls to keep out his prying senses.

He seemed to miss her inner turmoil entirely and instead sounded resoundingly pleased. "That's an excellent idea." His demeanor changed. "So…umm…this is your room from when you worked with Karrde?"

 _Interesting use of the past tense there, pal._

"Yes. He likes it here. He's spent a lot of time working with the Trade and Science Academy. Sometimes we'd be here for weeks – he liked to work with the Mrissi scholars on ideas." She smiled at the memories of Karrde, head down with the bird-like Mrissi, engrossed in topics of this or that. "You know Karrde. Information is his favorite thing in all the galaxy."

"Yes," he replied distractedly. Something else was on his mind. "Well, are we sleeping in here?"

Mara blinked, the significance of his words sinking in.

"I mean, Karrde's room is a lot nicer. It's much bigger, and it has that terrace off the far windows. I didn't look close but I'd bet it has a pretty decent view of the spaceport. I think we'd feel more comfortable in there."

Mara stood silent, her mind repeating ' _I don't know what to do about this'_ over and over.

Luke rambled on. "I don't think I'll fit in any of his clothes, though. We might have to do a little shopping down in the market. But I won't disturb what he's got in there. It's clear this place is very important to him. Um…Mara?" He cocked his head slightly at her. "What?"

"We…we can't stay in the same room, at least not yet. I…not yet."

"Oh."

The look on his face mirrored the blast of hurt and disappointment from his mind. Guilt flowed through her but she held strong to what she felt was right. _I'm sorry. I can't._

"You can certainly stay in Karrde's room though," she countered, overly cheerful. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind. And there are clothes in the other bedroom that might fit you. Karrde is something of a pack rat and doesn't throw things away unless they're completely useless. He wants to have as much available to him as possible because you'll never know when you need it. It comes in handy, you know. Like now, when you need clothes…" _Great, now I'm the rambling one._

"Okay, Mara. If that's what you want." His voice was tempered with steel, his eyes a stormy blue. "Let me go see what's available. Come get me if you want anything later." He turned stiffly and walked out of her room, closing the door soundly behind him via the Force.

Mara flopped onto the bed and stared at the ceiling. _Well, that went swimmingly, now didn't it?_

Her thoughts were interrupted by a beep from her commlink. Retrieving it from the shelf near her bed, she clicked it on.

"Mara," the voice came through clearly. "This is Karrde."

She'd never been so happy to hear from him.

"Karrde, there's been…"

"Are you okay?" he interrupted. "Were you hurt?"

"No, no. I'm fine. Had a few bumps and bruises but Skywalker used his Jedi healing trance on me and fixed most of it." She paused, looking down at her baggy Chiss uniform. "I still need to get cleaned up a bit but nothing serious."

"So. Skywalker saved you."

"In a manner of speaking. I wasn't exactly in mortal peril." Mara groaned. It was still embarrassing. "I was being held by some of the locals. They thought I was in danger. They were protecting me."

She could almost feel Karrde's mirth. "It seems the whole galaxy believes they have to protect you, Mara. Shame they don't know you like I do."

That was true. If there was one person in the galaxy who knew her well - it was Talon Karrde.

"There's more to what happened out there, Karrde. A lot more. There's something on Nirauan…" Thoughts flooded her as her voice trailed off. The Hand of Thrawn outlined against the sunset sky. The odd Chiss ship she'd docked earlier today. Parck and Fel and that map of the Outer Regions. The _Jade's Fire,_ burning and smoking as it crashed into the hangar. Finally understanding the Qom Jha and Qom Qae after weeks of their incessant murmurings in her mind. Thrawn's clone. The water flooding the Spaarti cylinder, killing it and nearly killing them. Luke saying, 'I love you, Mara' to wake her. Their kiss.

"Look, Karrde, do you have a few moments? I…I have a problem."

"Does this problem have something to do with the blonde haired Jedi we all know and love?"

Mara frowned. Karrde was having way too much fun with this.

"Yes, it does. And yes, it's a problem. He proposed."

There was silence at the end of the other commlink for a second or two. "I see."

"Yes. And I accepted."

"Interesting." She could hear his wry tone crystal clear.

"Karrde, look, something happened with us on Nirauan. Something…" She used Luke's words. "Something special."

"Again, interesting. I'm listening."

"I…" Mara took a deep breath. "I belong with him. I felt it on Nirauan and I feel it now. I can't explain it and I don't know what it means for me, or you, or your organization, or anything. It was all very sudden and to be honest, I'm having a really hard time coming to terms with it all."

There was more silence. Karrde was thinking. She gave him the time he needed.

"First, Mara, do know that this is not unusual. Many relationships have been forged from the heat of life and death altercations. I do not begin to fathom what you went through, but I know Skywalker saw you in a vision - dead. I must say I'm quite relieved that didn't come to pass."

So Karrde knew about the vision. Remembering Aves comments from earlier, Mara wondered whom else Skywalker told.

"Second, forgive me but this has been a long time in coming. We've all seen…"

Mara stiffened and scowled at the commlink. "Excuse me?"

Karrde's sigh was garbled in static, but Mara could picture him in her mind. She'd seen and heard that special 'Mara sigh' of his many times before.

"Mara. Please. We've all seen and known that there was something between the two of you. It's been simmering for years now. And if it took some Jedi vision of your death to bring you together, then so be it."

Mara's voice was terse. "So you knew too. Who's this 'all' you refer to?"

Karrde chuckled. "Does it matter?"

"No, I suppose not."

"Third, and perhaps most important, why do you see this as a problem?"

Mara was silent.

"You've just said you know you are meant to be with him. Given both of your affiliations with the Force, I can only assume how very certain you are. So, my dear, what is the problem?"

A full fifteen seconds passed before Mara replied. "It's complicated."

Karrde pressed her. "What is complicated? The two of you together can handle most everything with ease, especially when one of you is the most powerful Jedi in the galaxy. Financials aren't a problem, and don't try to pretend they are – I know your bank accounts."

"Karrde!"

"Sorry," he replied without a hint of remorse. "So…?"

Mara sighed heavily. "This is awkward."

She could sense Karrde's discomfort through the commlink.

"Perhaps you'd be better discussing this with one of your female friends?"

Mara snorted. "Who? His sister?"

"Point taken."

"Karrde, you know me. You know me better than most anyone. Any time I try to think of him like…like that…I hit this wall in my mind. It literally is boggling my mind."

The commlink emitted a garbled choking sound, but Mara pressed on. She couldn't stop the words if she tried. "He isn't bothered by it, I'm certain of it. I have no idea how he could possibly think I could instantly go from what we were to this idealistic happily married intimate couple. I just…I can't do it and I feel guilty and confused and it's terribly awkward and I…I don't know what to do."

She let her words sink in. And waited. She didn't have to wait long.

"You know," she heard him murmur, "this has been quite a week for me. First Car'das, then the Imperials, and today I've learned that the unflappable Mara Jade is human after all." The humor in his voice was unmistakable. "Astounding."

Mara was not impressed. "I'm thrilled to have provided you with awe-inspiring entertainment to brighten your day. However, if you tell anyone about this, I will hunt you down in every hidey-hole you have until I find you, and then I'll kill you." She took a deep breath. "So what do I do?"

"Honestly? I'm not sure. I've always known you as very driven and clear with what you've wanted. This is one of the reasons you've made it so far in my organization. You are not one to be distracted by flights of fancy. You see things for what they are…ahh, yes, perhaps that is it."

"What? What do you mean?"

"You have a perception problem."

"WHAT?!"

"Yes," Karrde said knowingly, "I'm almost certain of it."

"Perception of what? Skywalker?" Mara frowned. She prided herself on her ability to make sense of what was around her. To see things for what they were, to peel away layers of falsehood and get to the truth underneath. This was one of her greatest skills as the Emperor's Hand and she relied on it as much as she relied on breathing. She knew exactly who and what Luke Skywalker was. How could she possibly have a _perception_ problem?

Karrde didn't answer her question, but instead said, "Here's what I recommend you do. Take a few days, take a week if you need it, and get to know our illustrious Jedi friend. Spend some time with him – time other than flying across the galaxy fighting intergalactic catastrophes. Eat. Drink. Be Merry. Just...get to know him."

"I already thought of that. I even mentioned it to him and he thought it was a great idea. But I don't know how it is going to help." She scowled, frustrated. "Karrde, I already know him. That's not the problem. Remember that 'special something' I mentioned? We… we merged via the Force. It was like we were one person. I could see into his soul."

Karrde's tight composure slipped a notch. "Really?"

"Yes. It was like nothing I've ever experienced."

Karrde was silent for a few moments. "I had no idea Jedi could do that. I wonder...if it is unique to him and you. If so, it reaffirms what I said. In fact it probably emphasizes it. Spend a few days with him. Watch him. Keep an open mind. See what you learn." His tone had a note of finality in it.

"Okay. I'll give it a try."

"Excellent. I need to get back to some things here, but do call again if you need anything."

"All right. Um, thanks for listening."

"It was my honor, Mara. Take care."


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** Absolutely not mine.

 **Rating:** Hasn't changed. M.

* * *

Luke silently paced the floors of Karrde's room, his thoughts swirling like the winds on Vortex. He barely noticed the slowly setting suns through the window as he tried time and time again to calm himself. But just when he felt at peace, his hurt over Mara's rejection would wash over him, upsetting the balance in his mind and increasing his ire in how he could not control his emotions.

He stopped and stood in the middle of the room and gave voice to his frustrations. "Mara makes me crazy."

He said it again, louder this time, running his fingers through his hair. "Mara Jade makes me crazy!"

Then he laughed at himself, letting the tension finally ease from his brain. Yes, she did make him crazy. She didn't make things easy for him at all. But she never had, so why should today be any different?

He studied the neatly folded pile of clothing he'd placed on top of Karrde's dresser. Mara was right, there were clothes for him in the other room. He had bathed again in the somewhat opulent refresher connected to this room and was currently wearing an olive-brown jumpsuit. He had even found a comfortable pair of black boots in fairly good condition. Boots that were, until recently, trying to wear a hole in Karrde's bedroom's carpet.

Luke settled himself on the bed and tried to analyze his situation. Fact: Mara didn't want to share a bedroom. _Ouch_. Another fact: Mara said that change was hard for her. _No clue why_. Third fact: Mara also didn't appear comfortable with him lusting after her like a rutting bantha. This one he could understand, and ruled it out as a non-weighting factor in his analysis.

That left the other two – and in a burst of insight Luke realized he _was_ asking her to change. How could he have been blind to this? She was a loner. Of course cohabitation would be a problem for her. She had always been this way; she'd said multiple times on Nirauan how she purposely distanced herself from people. Her fierce independence was a part of who she was, a part she wanted to change but nevertheless, as Luke knew, old habits died hard.

What a frappin' fool he'd been. He now considered himself lucky that she hadn't outright rejected his proposal and tossed him out onto the streets of Mrisst. She did make him crazy – he had been so blinded by his own happy ideas of their life together that he'd completely forgotten about who she was. Regret and dismay pulsed through him. Once again, he'd been distracted and put his own needs first, the very thing he needed to stop in order to stay off any paths to the dark side. Shaking his head, he vowed to give her space and time she needed.

His stomach rumbled. Perhaps they could dine out tonight. He'd ask and see. He would apologize too – he was the one that overreacted, not her.

He left the bedroom, sensing for her. She wasn't in her room – he found her in the main living area, silently staring out the window. The last rays of the larger second sun were splintering across the horizon, casting the room in a dark orange glow. He stopped just beyond the entryway into the main room, transfixed on her image in the waning light. Her hair was tarnished copper, freshly combed and falling casually down her back. The strong yet elegant lines of her profile were clear against the auburn haze of the sheer curtains behind her. She was wearing one of her standard jumpsuits he'd seen her in thousands of times. It didn't matter – his breath caught in his throat anyway. She was beautiful.

"Wow."

She turned, her senses reaching out to touch his mind. "Hey," she called softly.

"Hey," he replied. His stomach betrayed him, rumbling again loudly.

"Hungry?" she asked.

"Yes. That's what I wanted to talk with you about." _Among other things._ "Do you want to go get something to eat?"

A soft whistling chortle came from where Mara was standing. Artoo was there with her by the window, and if Luke didn't know better, the little droid was laughing at him.

"Artoo, come over here. Don't bother Mara."

"No," Mara said. "He's fine. We were watching the suns set."

Had she been talking to his droid? That was unlike her. She tolerated Artoo but wasn't exactly enamored with him. He'd have to ask him later what Mara wanted. For now, he needed to apologize to her. And eat. Eating was fast becoming a priority.

"Mara, I want to let you know I'm sorry for earlier today. And yesterday. I…I've realized I've been unfair to you."

She was facing him now, her features hidden in the shadows of the last rays of the setting sun. He continued, "I don't want to pressure you to move faster than you are comfortable. It was wrong of me to be upset with you and I apologize."

"You figured it out," she said softly. "You understand."

"Yes. I did and yes, I do. I…wasn't thinking clearly. I'm sorry."

She walked to him and placed her hand on his shoulder, her touch warming his skin. "Thank you," she smiled at him. "I didn't know how to explain it to you. But thank you."

His heart cheered, and then his stomach growled. "I think it's time we went for food." He extended his arm. "Shall we go?"

"Sure, why not?"

~~~~/*\\*/*\\*/*\~~~~

The streets of Mrisst were ominous at night. Luke found himself frequently reaching out with the Force, scanning for any signs of danger.

Mara nudged him. "Relax. Not all darkness is evil. Sometimes it's just due to a lack of daylight. Besides, you're with me, remember? _I'm_ the one with the stronger danger sense and _I'm_ the one that knows this space port."

Luke scowled. She was right. _Reason #53 of why Mara drives me nuts._

Mara chuckled softly. "You're numbering the reasons why I drive you insane?"

 _Whoops._ "You weren't supposed to hear that."

"You'd better work on that mental barrier of yours, otherwise I'm going to know all your deepest secrets."

"You already do," he said casually.

She stopped short for a second, and he continued along the pathway, humming quietly to himself.

Mara caught up with him quickly and they walked in companionable silence to the small tapcafe she'd recommended. Once inside, she helped him with the menu - as it was in a language Luke couldn't even begin to decipher, even with the help of the Force. They'd ordered lighter fare and drinks, both agreeing that dining on rich food and consuming alcohol after weeks of ration bars might not be the best idea.

The café was crowded but fortunately for Luke, they'd received their food quickly from their waitress, a bubbly young Twi'lek. He attacked his meal with gusto, making Mara laugh. She teased him, calling him a starving farm boy. It was pleasant and casual; Luke found he genuinely enjoyed Mara's company. Time passed and soon they were one of the few patrons left in the tapcafe. They were about to leave when Luke felt a ripple in the Force. He looked up from his drink and met Mara's eyes. She sensed it too and looked very quickly to her right and back again.

Casually, Luke shifted his gaze and noticed two beings, a young-looking Niktos and a teenaged human boy sitting at a table off in the far corner, empty plates and glasses in front of them. They were dressed in shabby, non-descript clothes and had an air of recklessness about them.

"What are you getting from them?" he whispered quietly to Mara.

"Young. Bored. Edgy. I think they're planning on robbing the place." She paused and he sensed her reach out to the two teens again. "One has a blaster."

"And you said there was nothing to fear on Mrisst," he chided her.

"No," she replied in an even tone, "I said not all darkness was evil. There's plenty to fear on Mrisst. The Trade and Science Academy takes in underprivileged kids from across the galaxy and cleans them up. Our friends over there," she gestured slightly with her head, "are most likely new recruits breaking curfew for a night on the town. They'll be reprimanded when we return them to the Academy."

"We?"

"You see anyone else in here that is qualified for the job?"

Then he sensed it, the subtle shift in the Niktos' mind, the decision to act. He rose automatically, and with a polite "Pardon me a second" to Mara, he walked over towards them.

 _Wait there,_ he told her through the Force. _I'll handle this._

The young Niktos was rising from his seat when Luke calmly blocked his path and asked, "Isn't it past your curfew?" The Niktos sat down with a scowl.

"What's it to you?" sneered the teenage boy. Luke noted his hair was damp – with sweat or from lack of bathing, he couldn't quite tell.

Luke continued in an even tone. "I couldn't help notice how late it was, and it's obvious you two have decided to break curfew from the Academy tonight. If you come with me now, my companion and I will take you back and perhaps you won't be reprimanded too harshly." He felt Mara's eyes on him, but returned his focus to the task at hand.

"We don't care about you or yourr companion," the Niktos growled in passable Basic. "We have plans tonight. Leave beforre you get hurrt." The Niktos pulled the blaster from his jacket and jerked in surprise when it was immediately yanked from his grasp and pinned to the ceiling.

"Whoa!" the boy exclaimed. "What the frack was that? Who the frack are you, man?"

"Someone you shouldn't trifle with," Luke said firmly, making direct eye contact with both teens. He gestured to the door. "I think it's time for you to leave."

Luke felt the ripple of rage in the Force. An instant later the Niktos lunged towards him. Luke deftly moved to the side and stuck out his left foot, effectively tripping the Niktos and causing him to fall flat on his snout.

"R'hook, let's get outta here," the boy told his friend, who was sputtering in his native language and scrabbling to his knees on the dirty tapcafe floor. "I don't think we should mess with this guy. Let's just go back." He turned to Luke. "We'll go. We don't want any trouble."

"I'm afraid I must insist we accompany you back to the Academy. My companion and I want to ensure that you'll not cause any further problems tonight."

The Niktos snarled as he finally righted himself again. "We arre not childrren. We do not need baby sitterr."

Luke made a point of studying the pair. "You're a little old for baby sitters, aren't you?"

"Yes," the Niktos snapped. "That's why you should have left us alone."

"But," Luke replied calmly, "then you would have robbed these nice people who provided you with such a lovely meal. Why would you want to do that?"

"How'd you know we was going to rob the place?" The teen boy gaped at Luke. "R'hook, this guy is some kind of telepath or something. I don't wanna mess with him. Let's go."

"Fool!" R'hook cuffed his friend, knocking the boy from his chair. "He is Jedi." R'hook pointed. "See his weapon? Lightsaberr."

"Very wise, R'hook. I am a Jedi and this is my lightsaber. I'd prefer not to use it tonight, so again, I ask you, are you ready to return with us to the Academy?"

Luke's hand shifted towards his lightsaber instinctively as he sensed the Niktos' rage double in intensity. R'hook noticed the movement immediately and froze. Luke sensed the alien waiver - to attack or not? Luke waited to see what R'hook would decide, fighting back his growing urge to gently guide him with the Force and diffuse the situation. A few seconds passed and the young Niktos' shoulders drooped with resignation.

"I'll not fight you, Jedi. We will returrn with you to Academy."

The teen boy was still sitting on the floor, staring at his friend and Luke. Luke offered him a hand and helped him to his feet.

"That was something," the teen told him. "R'hook isn't one for backing down from a fight." The boy looked up at the ceiling, pointing to the blaster still pinned there. "Are you going to give us that back?"

"What do you think?"

"Yeah, probably not."

As Luke felt the tension in the tapcafe disperse, he became aware of the others around him, watching him. The tapcafe's owner, their bubbly Twi'lek server, and of course Mara, who was studying him with a bemused half-smile on her face.

He suggested subtly for her to come over. He wanted her to take the blaster and he needed her help to get these two young miscreants home. He had no idea where the Academy was.

She grinned and bumped his shoulder when she reached his side. "Never a dull moment with you, is it?" she murmured.

"Well, maybe not. Although really, most days I am rather boring."

She laughed. "Skywalker, you couldn't be boring if you tried."

She looked up and with an unspoken understanding, Luke released the blaster from his Force grip, allowing her to pluck it from the ceiling and float it down to her hand.

The Niktos snorted in surprise and the teen boy was utterly shocked. "Whoaa…she's one too R'hook! They're both Jedi!"

Mara shot Luke a knowing glance. "C'mon boys," she gestured with the blaster. "Time to go home."

~~~~/*\\*/*\\*/*\~~~~

After they'd dropped off R'hook and the boy, whose name turned out to be Leon, at the Trade and Science Academy, Luke and Mara quickly and quietly found their way back to Karrde's apartment. Both were on alert the entire time, despite Mara's previous statements.

"It's late now," she'd told him when he'd teased her about it. "There's an ugly element that comes out late at night in space ports. Don't ask me why, just be on the lookout."

Once inside the turbolift, Mara finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"That was some date, Skywalker. You sure know how to show a girl a good time."

She sensed his confusion instantly. "Date?" he countered. "That was a date?"

"Well, what else would you call it? Two people - going out, having dinner, stopping petty criminals, meeting the local law enforcement. You know, standard typical date, right?"

"Mara," he said evenly. "That was not a date. When we go out on a date, you will know."

"Oh? Tell me how I'll know."

"For one," he countered, "we'll be a lot closer." He stepped towards her in the turbolift, invading her personal space.

"Second," he said as the lift chimed and the door opened, "I'll escort you." He placed his left hand along the small of her back and did indeed escort her through the turbolift doors and down the hallway to the apartment. A small chill rippled along Mara's spine.

"Third," he whispered, his breath warm and tickling against her ear as she punched in the key codes, "there will be no interruptions."

Mara couldn't stop the shiver that raced over her skin.

"Finally," he said, turning her to face him after they'd walked through the door, "there will be a lot more of this happening." Before she could blink, he took her face in his hands and kissed her.

This kiss was nothing like their kiss in the cave. That kiss was filled with love, caring, compassion and joy that they both had survived a near-death experience and had finally come to an understanding after years of miscommunication and misunderstandings.

This one – it flared with desire and passion, yet was tempered with restraint and respect. His mouth moved against hers, his hands gently tangled in her hair. She placed her hands against his chest and felt the warmth and strength of him beneath the soft fabric. Her head was starting to spin, and she was enthralled with the sensation, intrigued that he was the one causing it.

He broke away, those clear, bright blue eyes of his penetrating hers as he quietly said, "That's how you will know."

He kissed her softly on her forehead and then walked quietly to his room. She felt his voice touch her mind as she watched him leave her standing there, dizzy with arousal. _Goodnight, Mara._


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I greatly wish they were mine but alas, they are not.

 **Rating:** I peeked ahead. It's still M.

* * *

Mara groaned into her pillow. Morning had apparently arrived, despite her desires for the contrary. She could hear Skywalker as he wandered about the apartment, chatting with his droid, banging pots and pans as he acquainted himself with the kitchen.

She hadn't slept well last night. She had laid in bed for nearly an hour, practicing Jedi calming techniques to help put a damper on her now awakened libido. She hadn't had that kind of reaction to a man since she was in her early twenties. Her rational side said this boded well for them, given that whole marriage concept and all. However, when she tried to picture them intimate, her mind once again balked at the thought. Something was holding her back, and per Karrde, she had a misperception. But she'd be farkled if she knew what it was. When she'd finally drifted off to sleep, she was haunted by half-dreams of fuzzy pink slippers and greasy-haired teenagers with bright blue eyes saying "Holy frack Mom, didn't you know Dad was a Jedi?"

Mara reached out towards Luke, picking up images of flatcakes and a warm, brown beverage that definitely wasn't tea or stimcaf. _Nice to know he's feeling domesticated. That makes one of us._

She reached over to the night table next to her bed and looked at her chrono. _Holy Sith, are the suns even up yet?_

With a slight shudder Mara realized the unthinkable. Luke Skywalker was a _morning person._

~~~~/*\\*/*\\*/*\~~~~

Luke hummed to himself while he oversaw the latest set of flatcakes on the griddle. Last night had been a great success. He'd kissed Mara. He might even get to kiss her again today. But if not, that was okay too. He was a patient man. He was going to help her - show her that sharing their lives together didn't mean she had to sacrifice who she was. Happiness flowed through him.

He looked down at Artoo, who had been keeping him company while he cooked. The poor droid was still scuffed and dusty from Nirauan, and Luke felt a pang of guilt for not attending to his friend. He'd been distracted, of course, but that didn't mean he should neglect Artoo and his care.

"How about we take you somewhere to get you polished up today? Make you all nice and clean again?"

Artoo whistled and trilled, clearly pleased with the idea. Luke studied the astromech, realizing the little droid had been his companion for almost twenty years. Luke understood those digitized noises so well they were almost a second language to him. They'd been through a lot together. Poor Artoo had been scraped and damaged and repaired more times than Luke cared to remember. He knew droids didn't have feelings and weren't really alive, but he'd learned that they reacted to changes and stimulus in their environment. Mara would be such a change, and he wondered what Artoo might think of that.

"Artoo, I've asked Mara to marry me. Do you know what marriage is?"

Artoo beeped an affirmative.

"She'll be living with us all the time. I'm not sure when, but it might be soon. It won't be just me and you any longer."

Artoo responded with a meandering warble that seemed to indicate _doesn't bother me_.

"Good. I'm glad you are okay with it. I care about Mara very much and she's going to need some time before she's comfortable with us. It is important to me that you don't upset her. Can you help me with that?"

The little droid reacted strangely. He gave a single, loud squawk and then rolled closer to Luke, extending his grappling arm. With a slight burst of acceleration, he poked Luke in the side of his hip.

"Ouch! Artoo, what did you do that for?"

Artoo repeated the squawk and poked at Luke again.

"What? You don't want to help me?"

He rumbled his frustration noise, squawked and then tried to poke Luke a third time.

"Hey, okay. That's enough now. I don't understand what you are trying to say." A thought occurred to him. "Did Mara say something to you yesterday?"

The little droid whistled nonchalantly, like he didn't know what Luke was talking about.

"Oh, okay. I see. You and Mara have secrets now."

The little droid twittered briefly and then went back to his whistling.

Luke laughed. "You're something else. So, what's with the poking? You don't want to help me with Mara?"

The droid warbled a negative.

"You _do_ want to help me with Mara?

Artoo trilled happy noises full of whistles and beeps.

"Okay so why the poking? All I'd said was that I didn't want you to upset her."

The droid squawked and Luke finally put it together.

"Oh…you think I'm the one upsetting her."

The whistles and warbles from Artoo were loud and went on for a good fifteen seconds. Luke got the distinct impression Artoo was telling him off.

"All right, all right. I hear you. I promise I'll try not to upset Mara. Will that work for you?"

Artoo beeped a loud affirmative.

"You care about her too, huh," Luke said softly, patting his little friend on his dome. "I'm glad. We'll make her feel comfortable - you'll see." He reached out with the Force, checking to see if she was awake yet.

 _Go away, Skywalker_ , he heard in his mind. _It's too early to get up._

Luke chuckled. _But Mara, I made flatcakes and hot chocolate. Don't you want some?_

An image of a steaming cup of stimcaf entered his mind. _I can make that too._ In a fit of deviltry, he sent her images of him reaching out with the Force and pulling the covers off her bed _._

 _Don't even think about it, buddy._

 _Just testing to see how awake you were. See you soon._

~~~~/*\\*/*\\*/*\~~~~

Mara stared at her reflection in the mirror. Six days had passed since they left Nirauan and she was taken aback by the differences in her appearance. The tension and exhaustion were gone and there was a new brightness in her eyes. Spending time with Skywalker had agreed with her.

She reviewed the highlights of the past few days in her mind. Not quite the idle times she'd pictured when they first landed here, not in the slightest. Skywalker was full of bantha piss if he thought this kind of life was boring.

Word had traveled quickly around the spaceport that two Jedi had helped corral two students bent on trouble. The next day, when they'd shopped for groceries at the open marketplace, they were followed by whispers and stares as the merchants deduced their identities from the lightsabers dangling from their belts. Mara wasn't used to all the attention, but Skywalker seemed to take it in stride. He was polite and friendly to the shopkeepers, chatting idly with those who were brave enough to hold a conversation with him.

A visit to the spaceport's bank also brought unwanted attention. Mara had told him repeatedly that they could use Karrde's credit chips and refund him later, but he didn't want to hear it. It was a novel experience for the tellers and bankers to see two Jedi stroll in and ask for assistance with credit transfers and withdrawals.

Later that afternoon, while picking up Artoo from the droid repair facility, they'd been approached by two robed Mrissi from the Academy requesting to meet with them the next day, citing their need for "Jedi counsel". Luke had agreed and the following morning they'd found themselves on an extensive tour of the Academy grounds, their Mrissi guide proudly and with great detail explaining every inch of the Academy.

Mara had found it incredibly dull, but Luke had listened politely and even asked a few clarifying questions, much to the delight of their host. She recalled the incident in the play yard, where a small little girl, probably no more than 2 or 3 years old, had approached them.

They had stopped to rest, the Mrissi guide explaining how they had opened a new facility for orphaned children from across the galaxy. The intent was to educate the young minds early, preventing them from the desperate and darker paths that the older, underprivileged children had faced. "Solve the problem before it starts," he had stated proudly with a fluff of his feathers. "Don't you agree Master Jedi?"

Skywalker had nodded politely, but his attention was elsewhere. With a slight nod of his head, he'd directed Mara towards a blonde-haired little girl partially hidden behind a set of benches, examining them with wide-eyed wonderment. But it wasn't both of them; the girl had eyes for Luke and Luke alone. Mara had watched as he decided to approach her, wiggling his fingers in a wave.

With a happy squeak of acknowledgement in attracting the object of her interest, the girl had run out from behind the bench, directly towards him. She'd lifted her head high to make eye contact and with a shy but determined smile, she'd offered him the faded doll clutched in her right hand.

Luke had knelt down to her, gently taking the toy. "Is this your doll?" he'd asked her softly.

The blonde head had responded with a quick nod.

"She's very pretty. You must love her very much." He had given the doll a little squeeze before returning it to the girl's outstretched arms. "Thank you for sharing her with me."

The child had hugged her toy tightly to her, clearly missing it during the five seconds it was gone. Then, donning a determined look on her face, she had reached up and grabbed Skywalker's hand. Mara recalled his quiet surprise and amusement as the little girl proceeded to pull him over towards a swing set. He had stood, glancing over his shoulder at Mara with a half-shrug of "What can you do?" and allowed himself to be guided through the play yard.

Mara's heart still caught in her throat when she pictured the two blonde heads walking away from her. Her mind had overlain a different image of Luke that day, one of him and a flame-haired little boy. That image continued to burn in her memory, refusing to be dismissed.

The following day was more adventurous. While walking through the market in search of more of Skywalker's hot chocolate, they had been approached by an olive-skinned young woman selling native flowers at a corner stand. She was tall and thin with luxurious dark green hair. She had offered a dark red bloom to Mara, her deep voice a melodious purr. "For you. You are Jedi, yes?" Mara had sensed the distress within the woman, and knew Skywalker felt it as well.

"Yes," he'd replied. "I am Luke Skywalker and this is Mara Jade. How might we be of assistance?"

She'd gestured off into the distance. "My family's farm, where we grow our flowers, there is no water. Something has happened. Can you help? Maybe you can find problem."

He'd looked at her, the question in his eyes and in her mind. _You up for it?_

How could she say no?

"What is your name?"

"L'luanni. You will help?"

"Yes," Mara told her. "We'll help."

They'd found themselves eagerly hurried into the back of L'luanni's speeder. The fifteen-minute trip to her farm was spent in silence, the hum of its propulsion system making conversation impossible. Skywalker had entertained himself with sightseeing, tapping her on the shoulder and pointing out some exotic jungle plant or fleeing animal as they traveled the dirt road. Mara had felt his intrigue and casual appreciation of their surroundings - he truly was a country boy at heart.

The jungle road had opened to a wide oasis, coated with the multiple hues and textures of various flowers. A sturdy but faded one-story structure sat off to the right. When the speeder stopped, an older couple of the same race as L'luanni had come out to greet them. The man had been tall and thin, his skin a darker shade of green, most likely tanned by the suns. The wife was shorter and sturdier, streaks of white interwoven in the same gorgeous green hair of her daughter.

Mara recalled her surprise at the sudden ripples of sadness and despair that had emanated from Luke. She'd reached out towards his mind to fathom the reason and images of two older humans, of similar age to the couple before them, had entered her mind. She'd felt his mind touch hers as he'd shared his memories with her: his Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru. Snapshots had flashed through her brain of home-cooked dinners, work on the moisture farm, and quiet family conversations. Then, a sharp image of Luke arguing with his guardians, peppered with guilt and regret. The final memory he'd shared had shocked her; it was the moisture farm in smoking ruins, and amongst the rubble, two bodies charred beyond recognition.

She'd asked what happened, and what he'd told her had sent a cold spike of horror down her spine.

"Stormtroopers," he'd said flatly. "They were looking for Artoo and Threepio. We'd bought them a few days earlier from a tribe of Jawas. Artoo ran away, he was searching for Obi-Wan Kenobi out in the dunes. I left and went to find him…" His words and emotions had trailed off. Mara remembered that empty, hollow feeling lingering between them, a sense of calm that wasn't quite peace.

She'd reached for his hand, and he'd squeezed it gently in reply.

"Let's help these people," she'd told him. "I don't know what their troubles are, but together, I know we can handle it."

They had indeed helped them, although it took most of the day. Roots from the encroaching jungle had broken through a section of the irrigation system's plumbing, choking off their water supply. It was backbreaking work, pulling roots, slicing vines, digging piping up from the soft ground and re-burying it again. Luke had encouraged them to dig a trench along the forest line and fill it with something the vines couldn't penetrate. The older man had scowled, the cost of such a thing weighing heavily on his mind.

Before they'd ridden back into the spaceport with L'luanni, her mother had handed Mara a bouquet of delicate white flowers, each petal rimmed with a deep red band. "Prrmutistani," the woman had told her. "They are you."

"They are beautiful. Thank you."

Mara looked over at her dresser, those same blooms overflowing from a vase she'd found in the kitchen, their light fragrance permeating the room.

She reached out with the Force and brought a single flower over to her hand. Twirling it slowly, she wondered what was in store for them today. Would they be Jedi Ambassadors to the local government? Fight off a riot in the marketplace? Rescue alien animals from near extinction?

She was snapped out of her daydreams by his touch in her mind. _Mara, you up for some training?_

She grabbed her lightsaber from the dresser after gently returning the delicate stem to its companions.

 _I have a better idea_. _Want to use the roof as a sparring arena?_

 _You sure we can do that?_

 _You think anyone will stop us? Or are you afraid I'll kick your sorry tail from here to Eiattu 6?_

She felt the challenge flair in his mind. Game on.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** Guess what? They're not mine.

 **Rating:** Guess what? Still M.

* * *

Mara stood in battle stance, eyeing her opponent. The weight of her lightsaber felt good in her hand, its hum comforting in the way only a trusted weapon can be. A slight breeze ruffled her hair, adding to the anticipation hovering between them. _This is going to be fun._

Skywalker had a calm but serious glint in his bright blue eyes. He flicked on his lightsaber, the green blade swishing to life.

"Don't worry, Mara. I'll try to go easy on you."

Mara chided him. "Still scared of me, huh Skywalker? You should be. I'm going to flatten you all over this roof."

"Overconfidence is a sure path to failure, Mara."

"Care to test that theory?" She lowered her saber and steadied herself, poised ready to strike.

"As you wish," he replied calmly. In an instant he was upon her, crashing against her blade. She reached out with the Force and their sparring began.

He was quick, quicker than she'd assumed. Using the Force she blocked every blow he sent, predicting his next attack. She felt herself slip into the mental zone of battle, the sights and sounds of everything beyond Skywalker and the roof blurring into oblivion.

He Force-leaped onto one of two air exhaust vents, blocky metal structures with screening and fins.

"Come on up, Mara. If you can."

Not to be outdone, Mara leapt, using the Force to guide her jump, spinning and slashing with her lightsaber at where she pictured him to be. She landed safely on the other exhaust vent and immediately sensed he was gone.

Reaching out, she felt him over 10 feet away. Turning, she saw him leaning idly against the rooftop stairway access door.

"Miss me?"

With a growl she jumped down and a game of cat and mouse began between them. Mara realized she was going to have to be clever and creative in order to even stand a change against him. Skywalker was notorious for thinking outside the box when it came to fighting; she would have to do the same.

Scanning her surroundings with Force-enhanced abilities, she searched for ideas, for any opening she could exploit.

"Getting tired, Mara?" he called, once again avoiding her reach, leaping to land behind her and forcing her to spin around on the defensive as he showered her with blows.

"Not yet," she called and with a flick of her mind, she sent a pile of crates crashing towards him.

"Excellent!" he cried, easily avoiding them. "Always make use of your surroundings." He landed again on one of the exhaust vents.

Mara sensed an opportunity in the Force ripple through her, and she realized the cooling system for the building was about to turn on. A half second later there was a loud bang and the exhaust vents shook dramatically.

She felt Skywalker's split-second distraction and leapt, landing on the other quivering exhaust vent. She slashed against him and he neatly parried, but she sensed he was finally on the defensive. Reaching out with her mind, she stabilized her exhaust vent and continued her attack against him, refusing to relent now that she had the upper hand.

His eyes grew darker, serious. Mara was giving him her all and she felt his struggle through the Force as he debated how to regain the offensive without truly hurting her. "What's the matter, Skywalker? Out of ideas?"

She leapt off the exhaust vent and stood in battle stance to face him. "Come and get me," she called. "If you can." She waited for his split second decision to leap, that subtle change in his posture. The minute he moved, she moved, hurling herself as far as she could towards the stairway access in the middle of the roof, her body shifting with the help of the Force as she landed a few feet beyond it, hidden from his view.

She had three seconds to form a plan, and her Force-heightened senses were up to the task. She moved towards the far edge of the roof, standing directly in the middle between the two corners. One corner was cluttered with discarded junk and broken electrical equipment, the other open and devoid of anything. It was that corner that was her target. If she was right, Luke would be appearing over there any second now.

She wasn't disappointed. She saw his body spin through the air and land solidly in the empty corner. Reaching out with her mind, she sent one of the pieces of junk towards him, aiming to miss, but not by much. He dodged as it crashed against the roofline and she sent another. Then she tossed an old holovid, heavier and trailing a long black cord behind it. She leapt and followed it, her blade coming down on his as he dodged the shattering glass from the holovid panel. Blue-white and green crashed together, again and again. She felt him retreat towards the roofline as she advanced against him, walking through the debris to reach him. He stepped back and stood atop the roofline edging; she felt him searching for options.

She sensed the ripple an instant before she saw his eyes quickly dart to the ground beneath her feet. She looked down, and saw she was standing in a tangle of the long black cord from the holovid. She realized her mistake too late. The cord tightened against her ankles and yanked. Fighting to maintain her balance, she felt her grip on her lightsaber lessen as her body started to fall. Immediately he was in the air, snatching her lightsaber from her with the Force while twisting his body to land behind her. Her own body curled and landed inches from the shattered glass, her Force-heightened awareness protecting her from danger as she fell. She was scowling at him from the ground when he landed solidly a few feet from her, a look of triumph mixed with concern on his face.

"You okay?" he asked, switching his lightsaber off and quickly clipping it to his belt.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"That was excellent, Mara." He offered her lightsaber down to her so she could grab it. She did and he hoisted her back to her feet.

Mara felt a tad embarrassed. It really wasn't much of a fight for him after all.

"No, you're wrong," he told her, reading her all too well. "You kept me thinking. Getting me on the defensive - that was a good plan. You just forgot about your surroundings. You could have approached me from the right rather than the left. Then you wouldn't have been tangled in the cord."

He was still holding her lightsaber, and she felt the heat from his hand so close to her own. She tried to take it from him, but he didn't release his grip. Instead he pulled her to him until they were almost nose to nose. His eyes were cobalt and twinkled with an inner light; the sandy hair along his brow dark with perspiration. Her insides tingled as she sensed what lurked in those blue depths.

Before she could pull away, he tilted his head down and kissed her, quickly and firmly. He tasted of sweat and Luke and she felt his satisfaction and pleasure with their battle when they touched.

He broke away seconds later. "I like sparring with you, Mara Jade. It's fun. We should do it more often."

Mara wiped the damp tendrils of her hair out of her face. "How about next time we do it somewhere cleaner, hmm?" She frowned as she brushed some of the dirt off her jumpsuit.

"C'mon," he told her, "let's go downstairs and get cleaned up. Winner gets to take the loser out to dinner."

"I don't remember that being part of the plan."

His face dropped in mock hurt. "You don't want to go to dinner with the famous Jedi champion Luke Skywalker?"

She laughed. "All right. Dinner it is."

~~~~/*\\*/*\\*/*\~~~~

Mara wrapped her robe tightly around her, her hair still damp from her shower despite the luxurious Nerf-fur towel. She wondered if Luke had a spare in his washroom.

She crossed the hallway to his room, noting the door was open. She wanted to respect his privacy, but curiosity overcame her and she peered inside. Luke was sitting on the bed facing away from her, clothed in a pair of black pants and no shirt. He was apparently putting on a sock.

Mara froze at the sight of his half-naked state. All along his back were scar lines from when the Emperor had attacked him. She knew exactly what they were; she had similar ones from C'Baoth's dark energy blasts, and per the medical droid who tended to her, they couldn't be healed by bacta fluid.

Her scars were faint compared to his; the pale white lines resembling the lightning that caused them were buried deep within his skin. The Emperor must have nearly killed him. Another jagged scar ran across his left shoulder blade, and the twisted scales of a burn mark on his right side disappeared into his clothing.

She felt two sensations at once. One, the urge to reach out and touch him, to comfort him, to take the pain away even though rationally she knew those wounds were long healed. The second was a powerful, gut-wrenching fear that she might lose him. Somehow, throughout everything, it never occurred to her that Luke Skywalker might one day actually die.

Memories flowed to the forefront of her mind. Luke when she found him, trapped in space with a fried hyperdrive. Luke casually resting against the tree in the forests of Myrkyr, not the least big worried that she wanted to kill him nor that Imperials were after him as well. Luke, fighting C'Baoth with her, getting crushed by the falling rock from the collapse of the mountain. Luke, floating through space in Jedi hibernation, a limp body drifting among the cosmos. There were dozens of other instances that she could recall. He'd survived so much, it never crossed her mind that perhaps one day, one time, he might not.

He must have sensed her presence and her feelings, as she watched him stand and turn to meet her. He walked halfway across the room and stopped, confusion prevalent on his face and in his mind.

"Mara?"

Her eyes found his and something within her shattered. More recent memories came to the surface. Luke pushing the little blonde girl on the swing. Luke, covered in dirt and sweat, smiling at her as they replaced a section of pipe. Luke sipping hot chocolate, his eyes alight with happiness. The warmth of his lips against hers. She stepped towards him slowly, as if seeing him for the first time. Her hand reached out tentatively as she touched the top of his shoulder, tracing her finger along the blue-white scar line she saw there.

His gaze followed her finger. "They're permanent."

"I know," she said softly. "I have them too. From C'Baoth."

"I did try to heal them once I learned the Jedi healing techniques. Do they bother you?"

"No," she told him firmly. "Don't change them."

He stood quietly while she ran her finger down his arm to his biomechanical hand, noting the shift from pure human flesh to synthetics and machine. She winced and recalled the clone Luuke, created from the hand he's lost in his battle with Vader. She saw the evil, unnatural twin again in her mind's eye as it attacked the real Luke, never relenting. She recalled the dull fade of death in its eyes as she sliced it down with her lightsaber, the body crumpling to the floor.

She shuddered at the thought and a fierce wave of protective instinct washed over her. Clarity pierced her mind as she finally saw Luke for what he truly was. He might be a Jedi Master, a hero, a savoir to the galaxy, but he was not infallible. He made mistakes and suffered doubts just like anyone else. He could and had been hurt, both physically and emotionally. He hated. He loved. He felt joy and sorrow and pain and regret and humor and passion and desire. He was for all intensive purposes exactly what she had steadfastly refused to accept. Luke Skywalker was not some omnipotent being like the Emperor, nor a warped man/machine like Vader. No. He was, quite simply, a man.

The truth was startling, and it took Mara some time to come to terms with it. And then it dawned on her. Luke Skywalker wasn't just any man. Something flared within her, full of possession and passion and everything she'd denied herself for entirely too many years. Luke Skywalker was _her_ man.

Mara's fingers reached out again, testing the texture of the crinkled hair along his chest. She traced a line down his abdomen to the darker patch of hair disappearing into his pants. She brushed her fingers across his waist, just above where skin met fabric. He quivered slightly beneath her touch, and she heard his slight intake of breath. Pleased, she continued her perusal of his body, touching along his side, running her fingers along his ribcage.

"Mara…" His voice was taut, his teeth clenched.

She lifted her eyes to his and saw her own desire echoed there. She touched his mind and felt his real and desperate struggle with restraint.

"No need," she murmured. "Not anymore."

She stepped back from him, dropping the walls around her mind as easily as she shrugged out of her robe, letting him truly see her, physically and emotionally, for the first time.

"Your turn."


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** Absolutely, totally and utterly not mine.

 **Rating:** Absolutely, totally and utterly M.

* * *

Luke stared at Mara, greatly concerned. Strong emotions were emanating from her, creating ripples in the Force around them, forcing him to steel his mind against the assault. Uncertainty flooded him until he sensed the change in her, the focused intensity of her desire a shock to his system. She approached him, her eyes alight with a dark flame as she ran her fingers over his body. He knew instinctively not to move, to let her examine him in whatever way she wished. He willed himself still beneath her touch as her hand traced along his abdomen. Her fingertips skimmed along the sensitive skin below his ribcage and he fought with his body's reaction, struggling to remain in control. She was searing his mind and scalding his body.

"Mara…"

She met his pleading gaze, the deep forest green of her eyes burning with passion and craving. He briefly felt her presence in his mind before she murmured, "No need. Not anymore."

She stepped back and the sense of her overwhelmed him as she opened her mind to him. Her pale robe cascaded down her shoulders and landed in a heap on the floor, leaving her naked before him.

"Your turn."

Luke swallowed, his breath caught in his throat.

Mara was exquisite. His wildest fantasies couldn't have prepared him for the woman that stood before him now. Desire poured through his veins, quickening his pulse and igniting every nerve in his body into awareness. He'd hoped for this, but he never anticipated the level of raw hunger he saw in those emerald depths. He had no clue what he'd done to cause this change in her, but he was delighting in it just the same.

Cautiously he touched her cheek, needing to be certain she wanted this as much as he. Her eyes fluttered closed as she leaned into his touch with a soft sigh. He needed no further validation. He wrapped his hand behind her neck and threaded his fingers in her damp hair, pulling her to him. The skin on skin contact of their bodies seared as he covered her mouth with his own, stifling her cry.

He was drowning in the smell of her, a light floral scent that was uniquely Mara. His hands caressed her as he deepened their kiss. He found her a willing participant as she freely explored his body in turn. They moved towards the bed instinctively, never breaking contact. Her fingers tugged at his pants, and he disconnected from her and quickly remedied that problem.

He felt a new wave of her passion flood his mind as her thoughts became more serious, more urgent. The Force was with them, mixing their emotions and overloading his senses. The lone rational piece of Luke's mind questioned why, but it was soon drowned out by the thunder of unrequited passion finally finding its release.

They were intertwined together on the bed when their bodies joined, the physical connection of heat and flesh coinciding with the deeper merging of their minds as they were again united as one within the Force.

Passion and pleasure burned within her - he could feel every sensation of her body and knew she perceived his as well. They used this knowledge to their mutual advantage, testing each other, teasing, craving, driving each other higher and higher towards an unspoken goal.

In his mind he saw Mara, not as herself, but as an entity within the Force, nebulous reds and greens and whites swirling in front of him. They flashed and swayed and pulsed in time with his own thundering heartbeat. Through her mind Luke saw something similar, an ever-changing sea of blue, gold, grey and white.

Overcome with need to be closer to her, he strained to reach her, driving himself deeper. She somehow knew what he wanted and what to do. He felt her submission as she surrendered herself freely to him, allowing him total and complete access to her soul.

Waves of power and desire surged within him as he recognized the significance of what she'd done. Her colorful glow hovered a scant breath away – he sensed he needed only to reach out with his mind to claim her for his own. She would be his, now and forever within the Force. He felt compelled to extend that small tendril, to touch that tantalizing light, to consume her within him, yet something deep within his heart caused him to hesitate.

Instantly he saw himself again through her mind, his colorings twisting, raging, morphing, the grey darkening to black.

 _No!_

He would not let the dark side consume his path any longer. Searching deep within his soul, he gathered all thoughts of himself and his needs and purged them from his mind, forcing them outward where they hovered in the distance. The effort left him raw and broken, only his love and hope and compassion remaining. It was this he offered to her, in the only way he knew how.

 _I love you, Mara. I am yours._

With a jolt that rocked him to his core he felt their energies mix, the greens and blues, reds and golds, aligning, shifting, blending into the purest white he'd ever seen. He felt the release of energy flow through them, a blinding flash in his brain that erased all traces of darkness. In its aftermath he was flooded with the most powerful sensations of pleasure he had ever experienced. His physical body was wracked with them, his mind dimming from the onslaught as wave after wave cascaded over him. When they finally ebbed, he felt their intertwined spirits drifting away from the Force, their lights diminishing in intensity.

They were surrounded by the deepest sense of peace he had ever known.

He had just enough strength to disconnect his body from hers, rolling away as his mind finally faded to black.

~~~~/*\\*/*\\*/*\~~~~

Half a galaxy away, Leia Organa Solo bolted awake with a gasp. The disturbance in the Force was like nothing she'd sensed before. Instinctively she knew it was Luke who caused it. Luke and…she stretched her senses. Mara.

"Wow."

Han grumbled, bleary-eyed, "What izzit?" He blinked and then rolled to face her directly. "You okay?"

"I'm fine. I just, felt something."

Han looked at her intently. "Is this a bad kind of feeling? You know, a get-the-blasters and call-in-the-Noghri feeling?"

"No, nothing like that. It was Luke. And Mara."

"Luke and Mara? Luke and Mara what?"

She gave him a knowing, pointed look.

"No way! Good for them. It's about time. Wait, you can feel them like that? When they're…?" Han looked intrigued and horrified at the same time.

She cuffed him, "No it wasn't that. It was…good. Peace. Love. They have a powerful love."

"Mm…I'll bet. It's been building for years. Like shaking a champagne bottle. Builds up all that pressure until it explodes."

Leia scowled at her husband. "A sensitive romantic you are not, Han."

"Who, me?"

Leia laughed and pulled him closer to her. "Since we're awake, I know another Jedi who has a lot of love to give. Know anyone who might be interested in it?"

Han kissed her as he pulled her to him and they didn't discuss anything else for quite some time.

~~~~/*\\*/*\\*/*\~~~~

In another part of the galaxy, Talon Karrde felt a long dormant but vaguely familiar chill run down his spine. Given that he was comfortable and cozy in his bed, and given that the datapad in front of him was displaying an article on the changes in economic policies on Kashyyyk, he doubted his environment was the cause.

That meant Mara, and that meant Skywalker, and that meant he'd officially lost his protégé. Still, he was happy for her and for him. They belonged together, now that she finally saw him as the man he was and not some type of Jedi god.

With a sigh, he returned to his datapad, but the topic no longer interested him.

Perhaps he could ask them about their bond, but then again, perhaps that was too private for Mara to share with him now. There were other uses for two powerful Jedi, however. Karrde was sure his affiliation with them would come in handy someday.

~~~~/*\\*/*\\*/*\~~~~

Elsewhere, on a different plane of existence, two shadowy outlines were seated around something that resembled a sabbac table. One player was older than the other, and clearly winning, if sabbac was indeed what they were playing.

Their surroundings were a kaleidoscope of morphing colors that spanned onward and outward in every direction. Flickers of white and black along with every other imaginable color in the spectrum flashed and swirled and danced beneath them, over them, all around them. It was a phenomenal sight, yet the two didn't seem to be all that excited about it. They had something else on their minds.

"Did you feel it?" the older asked the younger. "The disturbance just now?"

"No, I'm oblivious to my son. Of course I felt it." The younger beamed with pride. "He is an excellent Jedi. Takes after his father."

The older scowled, "Did you train him? Did you guide him in the ways of the Force? I think not. Besides, he never would have gotten that far on his own, regardless of your blood in his veins. My grand-niece is the reason he will become a true Jedi Master."

A third suddenly appeared at the sabbac table, complete with a trimmed white beard. "There will be no arguing – you both know better than to disturb the Force with your incessant petty squabbles on this topic. Yoda will be incredibly displeased."

"Obi-wan, you are entirely too serious! Qui-Gon and I weren't arguing. It was a discussion. Besides, you should be proud too. I'm sure you felt what happened."

The older turned to the one called Obi-wan. "My apologies, my friend. I will keep our young companion under better control."

"Please see that you do." In a blink the oldest was gone.

"He's such a stick in the mud," the youngest muttered. "Always was, too."

The other said nothing as they picked up what appeared to be sabbac cards and returned to their game.

~~~~/*\\*/*\\*/*\~~~~

Mara stirred, the haze of their lovemaking still echoing through her thoughts and her body. Nothing in the universe could have prepared her for that. She turned to Luke. His mind was muted to her probing, but his heart was still beating firmly and soundly in his chest.

 _It's a miracle we didn't kill each other._

What happened between them could never be forgotten. It bound her to him in a way that she would never fully understand, let alone be able to explain. She knew now she could never leave his side; she belonged with him, and he with her. Marriage ceremonies meant little to her now. They were already one.

She reached out and brushed a tendril of hair away from his temple. He was drenched in sweat, and dimly she noticed she was as well. The sheets entangling them were ripped in places and she was quite certain they were permanently stained. Karrde was not going to be pleased.

She laughed to herself. Karrde's ire was nothing compared to what she'd just seen - the tortured, haunting blackness they'd banished together from the farthest corners of Luke's soul. She knew with quiet certainty the dark side would haunt him no longer. Briefly she wondered how she'd known it was there; that it required the offering of her own soul to make it visible to him so he, no _they_ , could defeat it. Perhaps it wasn't all that difficult to understand; this was the Force they were dealing with. Selflessness was the foundation of the light, the opposite the tantalizing draw of the darkness. Her act of love took on more significance because it was done directly within the Force, and therefore had much greater consequences.

She shook her head, wondering where her newfound philosophical wisdom had come from. With a sharp stab of insight she knew – she was a Jedi.

In theory, she was one before. She sacrificed the _Jade's Fire_ to save the New Republic and finally heard the voices of the Qom Jha and Qom Qae. Was she now stronger, due to his influence? She'd have to ask Luke when he woke, maybe he'd know.

Luke. She stroked his cheek gently, noting the scratchy stubble from a day's growth of his beard. She traced his temples, the dark golden blonde starting to pepper with grey. She was his, and it gave her peace. She continued caressing him softly until she finally sensed his mind in hers.

 _Mara?_

 _I'm here._

He blinked a few times, finally coming awake. The same hazy afterglow was hovering in his thoughts as well.

Mara ran her fingers through his damp hair. "Welcome back to the land of the living."

"How long was I out?"

"A few minutes more than me, I think. Before that I can't tell - it knocked me for a loop too."

He sat up in the bed, gazing down at her. "You saw it then…the light?"

"We were one. I saw and felt everything."

He peered down at the torn sheets in slight bewilderment.

"I've never experienced anything like that, Mara. Never. We were with the Force in a way I can't explain. And the dark side…" he shuddered. "It was there inside me. I saw it. I saw it through your eyes and it was me and it was horrible."

Mara sat up and pulled him to her, tempering his waves of regret and shame with caring and compassion. "Hey, it's all right. It's gone now."

Luke searched his feelings. "It is. I feel…I feel free. That's why we felt…why it was…"

Mara smiled. The aw-shucks naivete was as much a part of him as the passionate and driven man who'd set her senses ablaze. Chuckling, she kissed him gently on his forehead. "Beats me. This whole episode is a completely new chapter in my book."

For a time, neither spoke as they held one another. Mara felt the last hazy tendrils clear from his mind. He blinked as another piece of their newly created puzzle fell into place for him.

"You knew it was there."

She shrugged. "I don't know how, or why. I just saw you and knew what I needed to do."

They were silent as the reality of what she'd done and what they'd done together finally became clear to them both.

Luke turned to her, his face a mixture of awe and respect. "I never would have defeated it without you."

"Probably not, no."

His eyes met hers, glistening with emotion as he pulled her into a fierce embrace. She leaned against him, equally determined to never let him go.

"I can never repay you," he whispered.

"Untrue. You promised me dinner, remember?"

His eyes widened. "I did, didn't it? That seems like a lifetime ago." He turned from her, looking around the bedroom. "Wow. Busy day for us."

Mara focused her attention away from Luke and examined their surroundings. The room was a complete shambles. Karrde's beautiful dresser was cracked in two, the drawers collapsed on top of each other, clothing spilling onto the floor or crushed under the weight of the broken wood. The rectangular full mirror above it had shattered along a thousand different fracture lines, painting their reflections into an artistic mosaic. The night table was knocked over, the ornate antique Corellian lamp that used to sit upon it now in pieces on the carpet. There were actual scorch marks along the walls and ceiling, forming a complete circle around the center of the bed. The duvet cover and corresponding blankets they'd originally laid upon were riddled with gaping, singed holes and the deep velvet draperies were charred.

Luke fidgeted with the torn, tattered sheets. "Karrde's going to kill us, isn't he?"

Mara scanned the room again. "Yes. Yes he is."


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** Not mine. And given some of the silliness in this chapter, I think Lucasfilm would be glad they aren't mine.

 **Rating:** M. For numerous reasons.

* * *

Luke sighed heavily at his reflection as he readied himself for the day. He was relieved that Talon Karrde was not going to send in his men to toss his tail from here to Tatooine. He was, however, sending a crew to do cleanup work and repairs. They were due to arrive today. Aves would be with them, gathering up whichever belongings of Karrde's were salvageable and relocating them to another location. Karrde expected Mara or Luke to escort the crew into the building and keep an eye on them while they worked. This would extend Luke and Mara's stay on Mrisst a few days, but Luke didn't mind. The idea of spending additional time with Mara was worth the hassle of babysitting contractors.

Despite Karrde's calm acceptance, Luke knew the smuggler had established a marker for them and would call it in if and when he needed it. Whatever he wanted from the two of them was worth more to him than a damaged bedroom and a few antiquities. Mara didn't seem to notice, and Luke intended to keep his realization about her current and hopefully soon-to-be-former employer to himself.

Mara's image appeared behind his within the mirror. "Aves is going to be here soon." She looked past him at her own visage, fussing with her hair. Mara had a 'thing' about her hair. He'd never noticed before, because every time they'd been together, they'd been running from danger, running to danger, or smack dab in the middle of danger. Now that he'd had over a week to observe her in her natural state, he was learning she was a bit of a perfectionist. Particularly so when it came to those fiery waves of hers.

He loved her all the more for it. He admitted it easily now - he was absolutely in love with her. His newly lifted spirits had him viewing everything in a different, positive light. He hadn't realized that the trace of darkness within him was clouding his judgement and affecting his emotions. His insecurities and fears seemed less now. Not gone, but less. Decisions and options seemed clearer, and it was all due to her. She'd given him so much, he wondered what he could possibly offer her in return. What did Mara truly want anyway? Luke searched his memories and came up empty. Their relationship was never big on long, meaningful conversations. It was an odd feeling, he knew the depths of her soul but he didn't know a thing about her wants or needs. Luke vowed to remedy that as soon as he could find the opportunity.

She turned her eyes to meet his in their reflection. "Hey daydreamer, you thinking about creative stories for what happened in there? We're going to need to tell them something."

"No, I was...just thinking. Let's just see what happens. Maybe they won't ask. Besides, Jedi shouldn't lie."

Luke had no idea what they were going to say about the damage to the bedroom. Truth be told, it was embarrassing. He was raised that private moments between two people were just that – private.

Mara blinked at him. "You're kidding, right?"

"They're professionals, aren't they? They must see this kind of thing all the time. Blaster fights, fires, whatever sordid things people do in the privacy of their own homes."

"You go on believing that. In fact," she said pointedly, "you can talk to them"

"Mara, you worry too much. How bad could it be?"

Two hours later, Luke ate those words. 'Bad' didn't even begin to describe it.

"What in the frakkin' name of a batha's backside happened in here?" Aves squawked as he wandered around Karrde's room. Luke and Mara had escorted him and two other men into the building a few minutes earlier. The men had brought along a couple of cleaning droids and a lift-carrier to transport the broken furniture and boxes of Karrde's stuff out of the apartment. Mara and Luke had led Aves to Karrde's room at his request.

"Yo Mort! Fendi! Ya gotta come in here and see this."

Mort happened to be an ogre-like man who spoke little and looked like he could wrestle a rancor and win. His partner was Fendi, a smartly dressed young man with spiky hair who clutched his datapad as if it was his life's blood.

Fendi hurried into the room at Aves' call. "My stars," he said, hugging his datapad tighter to him. "We will need to call in painters. Yes, yes. Painting of the entire room must be done in order to restore this space to its former glory. Everything must be removed."

Fendi abruptly handed his datapad to a startled Aves and pulled an imager from his pocket. He began collecting holos of the scene; the click-snap of each one a rapid staccato. He even attached a special lens to get more detail.

Luke felt his face flame. Documenting the scene for posterity was not what he had anticipated. Instinctively he knew he couldn't use the Force either - his senses very clear on the wrongness of manipulation. He shifted slightly and tried to look inconspicuous, hoping they would hurry.

"Mort!"

Mort lumbered into the room. "Yes, Fendi?" The voice that came out of the large man was a melodious tenor. Mara, who had taken up residence against the far wall near the terrace doorway, raised her eyebrows in mild surprise.

"Mort, everything, and I mean _everything_ , must go. Mort, are you listening?"

Mort was not. He was studying the bed, a look of curiosity and confusion etched into his features.

"Mort! Please go and fetch the lift-carrier. We must get started right away." Mort gave the bed one more puzzling look before leaving the room. Fendi turned to Aves. "We will need to be here a few days. Will someone be here to escort us in and out of the building?"

Aves pointed. "Luke and Mara will be here." In a lower voice Aves muttered to Fendi, "They've been staying here for a while. They were here when _this_ happened _._ Karrde said we couldn't ask about it."

Fendi's eyes widened as he studied Luke a little more intently. Mara was leaning against the wall, perfecting the art of looking bored, but Luke could sense her laughter rippling through the Force. Somehow she had overcome her embarrassment – or maybe she'd never had it. The same didn't apply to him.

Recognition dawned in Fendi's eyes as he studied the lightsaber dangling idly against Luke's hip. "Ahh… I see. Luke…as in Jedi Luke Skywalker?"

Before Luke could answer, Aves chimed in and said, "Yup, that's him."

Fendi's eyes traveled the room: first to Luke, then the bed, then the ceiling, then Mara, and finally Luke again. Ripples of Mara's mirth increased, tweaking Luke's mind.

 _I'm delighted you find this amusing, Mara._

Mara made it a point to study her nails. _Very much so._

 _Aren't you the least bit embarrassed by this? He's taking holos for Sith's sake!_

Mara subtly raised her eyes to him, still feigning disinterest. _I told you we should have come up with an excuse._

 _There is no feasible excuse for this Mara._ A subtle flicker came from her, and Luke felt a ray of hope. _Unless you have…?_

His thought trailed off as Mara walked over to Fendi. "I'm glad you're taking holos, Fendi. We'll need them for the insurance claim."

"Insurance claim?"

"Yes. Wait…what did you think happened in here?"

Fendi sputtered, "Well…I…he's a Jedi and…you...the bed…"

Mara shot Fendi and Aves a dark look. "Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable. I don't know what it is with you men and sex. Is that all you ever think about? What do you think he is, some kind of god?" She walked over to the bed and pointed. "My blaster's power pack was defective. I bought a new one a few months ago and I'd left it on the bed. I don't know what caused it to go off – we were in the kitchen when the explosion happened." She walked over to stand at Luke's side, wrapping her arm around his. "You take all the holos you want, and let us know if you need anything else."

Luke was pleased to catch the twin expressions of awkward shame on Fendi and Aves as Mara led him from the room.

"Better, farm boy?" she whispered quietly.

"Yes. You just think of that now?"

"Yup. Hopefully two little lies won't put me on a path to the dark side."

"Let's hope not…wait, what do you mean by two?"

Mara stopped him just before the entry way into the living area and murmured quietly in his ear, "Well, you _were_ pretty god-like."

Luke's jaw was slack as he watched Mara walk away from him, chuckling to herself.

~~~~/*\\*/*\\*/*\~~~~

Four nights later, they were sitting companionably on the sofa watching a holofilm on the main room's viewscreen when Luke's commlink chirped. Pausing the film, he clicked it on. "Hello?"

"Luke! It's Leia. Things have been so crazy here I realized I haven't talked to you. When are you coming back to Coruscant?"

"I'm not sure, maybe in a few days?" Mara heard the hesitancy in his voice and appreciated it. She wasn't all that eager to return to Coruscant either. The repairs to Karrde's room would be completed tomorrow and she wanted a couple of days that were Fendi and Mort free. She and Luke hadn't had much time together since the repair crew's arrival. Fendi liked to start work early, and end it late. Granted, there was a lot to do with the painting and especially the carpeting, but she and Luke hadn't been able to have any 'alone' time together since that night. Mara was a tad uncertain about what might happen their second time around, but she was more than willing to give it another try. Those baby blues of his were driving her libido crazy.

"Luke, something big has happened. The Empire has offered peace negotiations with the New Republic."

Mara's heart panged. _We've lost._ She heard Luke's contrasting thoughts echo in her mind. _We've won._

Leia continued, "Admirial Pellaeon is leading it from the Imperial side and I've been working with Gavrisom from our side. Luke, they're planning to sign by the end of the week."

A few moments passed before Luke answered. "I understand. I'll see what we can do."

"Oh…everything okay out there?"

"Yes, we're fine. Don't worry, we'll do our best to be there as soon as we can."

"All right," Leia responded hesitantly. "If you need anything, just ping me, okay?"

"Okay."

"Bye Luke."

"Bye Leia."

He looked at Mara with a strange expression on his face. "It's over," he told her.

"It feels rather anti-climatic, doesn't it?"

Luke's tone was pensive. "I always thought that it would be more dramatic, more of a battle. I guess there was one, of a sort, around Bothawui. But we missed it. I missed it."

"Yeah, well, the team I was playing for lost. That's not a great feeling either."

Luke turned to her with a slight scowl. "You haven't been on the side of the Empire for years."

"That doesn't mean I've forgotten what they were. That life was all I knew for quite some time. It's…" Mara searched for the right word, "…awkward to know that something that was so important in your life is completely gone now."

Luke nodded. "I think I know what you mean. It's similar to losing something, but not something you really wanted anyway." He put his arm around her, letting her rest her head on his shoulder. "I thought I'd be more excited," he murmured.

"Maybe your priorities have changed."

"Perhaps they have." They were quiet for a few moments, letting the news sink in. Luke spoke first. "I think we need to be careful when we return to Coruscant. I don't think we should tell them about what we found on Nirauan. Not yet."

Mara nodded, rubbing her head against his chest as she did so. "Jedi intuition?"

Luke smiled down at her. "It must be. I get the impression that the New Republic isn't ready to deal with the Hand of Thrawn. It's about timing – what's out there isn't going to go away. It'll need to be dealt with eventually. The question is when, and I am fairly certain the answer isn't now."

Mara felt a chill run through her, and not a good one. Whatever was out there in the Unknown Regions was going to be a problem, not just for the New Republic, but for her and Luke as well. She didn't know why, but the potential was hovering in the Force, causing the disturbance in her mind. At least she didn't have to face it alone. Luke was with her now.

A new worry entered Mara's mind. "Is there anything else you want to keep from them?"

There was a hint of amusement in his tone. "If you mean do I want to keep our engagement a secret, the answer is 'no'." He paused, and the same insecurities she felt were suddenly echoing in his mind. "Why? Do you want to keep it a secret?"

She pulled him closer to her. "No, silly. I was worried that _you_ did."

"Oh. Well, good."

Mara sighed. "It's still different for me, you know. You. Us. I'll admit I haven't quite adapted to it yet."

He kissed her lightly on her forehead. "I know. I'm not in a hurry. As long as we're together, that's all that matters to me."

"Me too."

Mara turned her head to him and found the cool calmness of his gaze already upon her. Their lips met in quiet harmony and mutual understanding. She felt the drumbeat of his heart as she pressed her hands against his chest, clasping his shirt in her fists. His fingers curled into hair as he deepened their kiss, leaving her dizzy and breathless.

Slowly and soundlessly they removed themselves from their clothing in unspoken agreement. The feel of his skin against hers once again sent shivers down her spine. Mara wondered if it would always be like this, what his touch caused within her.

"Yes," he murmured into her neck.

"I hope so..." she whispered, her voice catching in her throat as he ran his hands down her side.

Luke raised himself to meet her eye to eye; the desire brewing within them nearly stopping her heart. "Always."

He kissed her again and she found herself lost to him, her body surrendering to his touch and his need. It was instinctive. Something within her knew that this man was her mate and she was powerless to fight it. She didn't even want to try. She reached out tentatively with her mind, feeling the Force hovering in the background, distant, allowing them the freedom to come together as man and woman, and not Jedi to Jedi.

He explored her body slowly, taking the time to taste, to touch, to drive her senses insane. When she couldn't stand it any longer she decided it was his turn for torture. He allowed it willingly. She loved the softness of his hair at the nape of his neck, the crinkle of his chest against her fingertips. She let her hands and mouth wander at whim, reveling in his reactions to her touch. Dimly she realized it was the same for him, the tangible pull of submission. Just as she was driven to give herself to him, he was equally driven to yield to her. They were two broken souls that when merged created a flawless whole.

It was he who finally took control, easing himself into her. Their alignment in the Force clicked seamlessly and synchronously as their bodies became one. Worry crossed Mara's mind but Luke caressed it away, showing her there was no need to fear, no battle to fight. She trusted his love and let herself fall freely into it, letting him carry her with him, higher, until they crashed against each other in release, sharing it together as one.

That same sense of peace followed in their wake, leaving them dazed and delirious as they fell back into reality.

Many moments later, Mara pushed herself away from Luke and sat up on the plush carpeting. She looked around the room and was grateful to see it was exactly as they left it. Well, except for the pillows on the sofa. Those seemed to have relocated to the floor.

Luke stirred next to her, a question in his mind.

"No," she said aloud. "We didn't destroy anything this time."

"Good. Although I wouldn't have minded if we created another reason to stay here longer."

Mara's shoulders sagged. "We really have to go back, don't we?"

"We do." Luke patted her hand gently. "It won't be so bad."

Mara punched him lightly. "I've heard that before."

Twenty-four hours later, they were on board the strange Chiss ship, Mara preparing the pre-flight sequences for the jump to Coruscant. Artoo was cheerfully wheeling around the floor, whistling his excitement.

"At least one of us is happy," Mara muttered as she checked the computer's calculations.

Luke leaned over from behind her chair and kissed her check. "Two of us."

She turned to him and smiled. Her life was a big murky mess of unknowns. The _Jade's Fire_ was gone. The war with the Empire had ended. Whatever was next for her was going to be unfamiliar territory. Yet she knew now she wouldn't have to face it alone. She wasn't meant to face it alone. The future was something they'd face together, and she found she was actually looking forward to it.

"Make that three," she grinned. "Go get your little droid settled, Skywalker. It's time for us to go home."

 **THE END**

* * *

I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! I thought I'd write up some notes/thoughts - feel free to read them below if you are interested. Otherwise, enjoy the rest of your day and thanks for reading!

 **Author's Notes :**

* I used to write fanfiction for CSI - specifically for the Grissom/Sara pairing. Some of the little quirks of that fandom did show up in here; I'm clearly not as creative as I thought when it comes to clever turns of phrase.

* God Bless Wookiepedia. I would have been completely lost without it.

* I apologize for all errors - I did not have a beta for this fic so I proofed it myself. Repeatedly - including after I originally posted it on 7/14. (Sometimes you can't see an error until it is live in its final published form.) I am new to the _Star Wars_ fandom and I admit I struggled with the use of the Beta section here on this site. Any errors in grammar, tense, spelling, punctuation, characterization, EU/Legends timeline details, you-name-it are mine and mine alone. Please PM me if you see something glaringly wrong and I will fix it. Also, in case it wasn't obvious - I love commas, ellipses, and dashes and I have a bad habit of using the word "and" too much. I'm working on the habit, but the commas and ellipses and dashes are my favorite things and will be forever present in my writing.

* I have not read any of the books beyond _Vision of the Future_ , so some of the events that happened in this fic may have taken this story into an AU. Hopefully it isn't too AU, as I wanted to have this fit somewhat seamlessly in between Chapters 42 and 43. I didn't quite succeed with seamlessly - but I gave it my best shot. One of the risks you take as a new writer within a fandom is getting it really, really wrong. Hopefully I'm not out in left field.

* Speaking of really, really wrong - I had to write the scene where Mara and Luke merged as colors on the Force's plane of existence. My muse insisted it was part of this story. Hopefully it didn't come across as too off-the-wall. They were just colors because they weren't dead yet. In theory, when a Jedi dies, his body and his soul become one with the Force and that's how you get the colorful ghosts we see. Body = shape. Soul = color. Cool, huh? No? Well, I liked it.

* Also - Mara calls a bathroom a "washroom". Luke calls it a "refresher". In my mind, Imperials do not use the word "refresher" - and Mara grew up with Imperials. It's a dialect thing. Like people from the UK calling an elevator a "lift". Additionally, the word "refresher" is ridiculous and Mara does not say ridiculous words. Because she's awesome like that.

* As I was editing this fic for the upteeth time, I noticed I apparently have a thing for Luke and Mara looking at themselves in the mirrors of said washrooms. I have no idea why.

* Finally, if anyone can tell me what in the world is going on with the Chiss Clawcraft - I'd appreciate it!


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